[00:00:00] Kirsten: This is the Social Studies Teacher Podcast, a show for busy elementary teachers looking for fun and engaging ways to easily add social studies into their classroom schedule without feeling overwhelmed or pressed for time. I'm Kirsten of the Southern Teach, an educator and mom who is passionate about all things social studies.

[00:00:30] I love sharing ideas and strategies that are low prep and easy to implement, so let's dive in together.

[00:00:46] Hello again, and welcome to another episode of the Social Studies Teacher podcast. I'm so glad you're here, and this is officially the time of year where we get [00:01:00] to think about all the celebrations happening. For example, if you're watching this in real time, Halloween is this weekend and I would love to hear what you're up to for Halloween.

[00:01:11] If you celebrate or partake in festivities, we usually will do chick or cheating, and we love to go around at the houses, get some really great. Candy and some things for the adults as well. Our neighborhood goes all out, and I look forward to it every year, and right now we're at that stage where we want to both go out with them and not stay home.

[00:01:37] But it's also acceptable nowadays to leave out candy. People are sitting out in their front yards or. In their garages and they are handing out candy. So it's really fun taking part in the Halloween festivities, especially in our neighborhood and community. So let me know in the comments or share with me what you guys plan to do [00:02:00] for Halloween this weekend.

[00:02:01] Are you just solely hanging out on the front porch handing out candy, or are you trick-or-treating with your kids? Are you going to a fall festival? Whatever it is, I hope you enjoy and have. Fun this weekend. Speaking of holidays, if you are looking to bring curiosity and excitement and culture into your classroom this fall and winter, today's video is just for you.

[00:02:28] We are diving into eight winter holidays. You can teach your students that range from October all the way through January. These holidays are diverse, rich, in tradition, and really fun for students to learn about. Before we get started, I did want to make a quick note that you can make sure to subscribe and like this channel for more updates.

[00:02:52] I have a variety of videos, not only for educators and parents, but also some curated content for kids [00:03:00] that are related to a variety of social studies topics and more. Topics are on the way. If you're ever wanting to request a specific topic that you want me to put out, you can let me know in the comments or send an email if you wish as well.

[00:03:16] In addition, you can always listen to this podcast wherever you love to listen to podcasts. You just search up the Social Studies teacher podcast and it should pop up and you'll always see a blog post version of this video on my blog@thesouthernteach.com slash blog, so you could always check out my website and any resources I have there.

[00:03:38] So without further ado, let's go ahead and dive into eight winter holidays that you can teach to your students, whether or not they may partake or celebrate in the holiday. I always think it is a really great way to get students into that holiday season. Thinking about eight [00:04:00] winter holidays that have a variety of traditions and customs.

[00:04:04] And if you think about it, they all have something in common, and that's a really great discussion point and talking point after you talk about these eight holidays with your students. One thing I did want to note is I happen to have a winter holiday unit. Three week unit for grades three through five.

[00:04:27] That is very similar to my smart and simple social studies guided curriculum where you have slideshow lessons and guided notes, some practice activities, exit ticket, and this particular unit has a project menu that you can. Have students choose, or you can just have one particular project you want all of your students to do and they can work independently or in groups or in pairs, and it's basically all there for you to implement.

[00:04:58] So I'm actually going to be [00:05:00] talking about the eight holidays that are featured in this winter holiday unit. In this episode, you'll hear what this holiday is, some common traditions and some. Additional tips you can share or talk about or do with your students to help them understand the significance of each holiday.

[00:05:23] And if you are wanting something even further, maybe you teach at a private school. I also have a Christmas around the world. Unit as well. Same format where you've got the guided notes and the practice activities and all that great stuff. Project menus in there as well. Slideshows are in there, but it's mainly focusing on eight different ways.

[00:05:46] People in eight different countries celebrate Christmas, so it's a Christmas around the world. You'll learn about how they celebrate Christmas in Mexico, Ethiopia, France. And Australia, and [00:06:00] there's more in that as well. So I'll make sure to link both the Winter Holidays unit and the Christmas around the world unit in the show notes.

[00:06:08] And if this is something you want to start up and implement with your students this year, you are more than welcome to take a look at that. So I'm gonna go in chronological order usually. The holidays are pretty set. It's the same day each year, but some holidays are variable depending on their specific calendar.

[00:06:32] The first holiday I'm gonna talk about is Diwali. This is a holiday that is usually celebrated in October or November, and it is the Hindu Festival of Light. This is a five day festival that's celebrated in India and other communities around the world. And if you're watching this in 2025, it took place just last Monday on the 20th, or it started on the 20th.

[00:06:58] It symbolizes the victory [00:07:00] of light versus darkness or over darkness and good versus. Evil. There's various traditions for this holiday. Fireworks are a big component. Lighting oil lamps called Diaz, having some festive RLI art designs, as well as sharing sweets in the classroom. You can take some chalk outside and Dua Rully art.

[00:07:25] Design of their choice. You can study the different patterns and different colors that are used and just show pictures of what it looks like, and then students can go outside with some chalk and make their own WR art. Next up is Dia de los Muertos. This is celebrated November 1st and second primarily in Mexico, but in other.

[00:07:46] Communities around the world as well. This is a day to honor those who have passed on before us, and it is a beautiful, beautiful tradition and celebration. You're honoring loved [00:08:00] ones who have passed away. Remembering. Your ancestors, it's very symbolic. Families will build a friend as or altars, and they will also put out foods that they loved, and they'll also put out marigolds.

[00:08:16] That's a common symbol as well. Photos are common, and you'll also see sugar skulls. There's a lot of different celebrations going on, and it's all about honoring. Those who have passed before us in the classroom, students can design a sugar skull and honor a family member and share information about why they are important in their lives.

[00:08:42] It can be a family member that has passed on, or it can be somebody that. Currently important in their lives. The next winter holiday that you can talk about is Hanukkah. This is a very common Jewish holiday, and this year in [00:09:00] 2025, it starts on December 14th. This is the Jewish Festival of Lights and it last.

[00:09:05] For eight nights, it commemorates the miracle of the oil that lasted in the second temple of Jerusalem. They only had enough oil to light the candle for one day, but it ended up lasting for eight full days. You've got a variety of traditions such as lighting, the menorah. Playing D Dral, eating foods, fried and oil, such as lakas.

[00:09:28] And a classroom tip for this holiday is to teach students how to play the D Dral game. It's a lot of fun. You can incorporate guilt or chocolate coins if you would like, or you can just teach them the meaning of it, how to play, and they can play in small groups. The next winter holiday is Las Posadas, and it takes place on December 16th through December 24th.

[00:09:51] This holiday is celebrated in Met. And this is a nine day reenactment of Mary and Joseph's search [00:10:00] for shelter when Mary was with child and right before the birth of Jesus. So there's a lot of different things that happen. Some traditions include processions, singing, breaking the pinata. Community gatherings, and there's a big Christmas dinner and gathering usually with family eating tamales, especially on the final day of December 24th.

[00:10:27] A classroom tip for this is to give students information about the holiday, a book I recommend. It's a picture book by Tommy Dela. It's called The Night of Las Adas. I'll make sure to link that in the show notes. You can buy it on Amazon and it's a really nice story. You can talk about it and share the information with your students, and you can also even have them compare the different traditions and story in the book to maybe another celebration that they might celebrate or another holiday that they're familiar with.

[00:10:58] The fifth winter [00:11:00] holiday that we're gonna talk about is Christmas, which is on December 25th each year. This celebrates the birth of Jesus and is very common in many Christian communities around the world. Traditions include nativity scenes, singing carols, the Christmas tree you have. Stockings, and usually you also incorporate Santa Claus and you have an advent calendar.

[00:11:28] There's all sorts of traditions associated with Christmas that might vary depending on the place that you live in or the community you live in. So a classroom tip for this is to see how Christmas is celebrated. Maybe you can have students pick two countries and see the different traditions that are celebrated.

[00:11:50] In one country versus another country, you can do a Venn diagram with two overlapping circles. Next up is Kwanza. This [00:12:00] is celebrated in some African American communities. It lasts from December 26th through January 1st. It was created in 1966 by a professor and it's. Symbolizes unity in culture within the African American community and thinking about the ancestors that came on before us, and just thinking also about future generations.

[00:12:27] A lot of the holiday focuses on seven principles, and there's a principle that's focused on every single day of Kwanza. Some traditions include lighting. The Canara, which is another type of candle holder community feast. Giving gifts to children telling stories. An activity idea in the classroom is to divide your class into seven groups and assign each group one of the seven principles they have to create a poster.

[00:12:58] They're researching the [00:13:00] information on that principle and what it means in the different traditions related to that principle, and even maybe what day that principle is focused on. Then they share to their classmates about the principles and they go around and hopefully by the end of all the presentations, students will have a better understanding of each principal and what it means coming up next for winter holidays, of course, new Year's Eve or New Year's Day, which is celebrated December 31st and January 1st.

[00:13:31] Of the following year, and this is related to the Gregorian Calendar New Year, there are other New Year's celebrations in other cultures such as Rash Hashanah, lunar New Year. This is primarily focusing on the Gregorian calendar. And it's celebrated in a variety of countries around the world. Traditions include having a countdown, fireworks staying up until midnight.

[00:13:57] You've got a lot of parties, [00:14:00] and I've seen more recently younger children, if they can't stay up that late, they'll have a noon year party. So at noon of New Year's Eve, 12:00 PM there's a countdown counting down to 12:00 PM and then. There's a lot of celebration and all that great stuff. You also have some specific cultural traditions, such as eating 12 grapes in Spain, black eyed peas in Southern United States.

[00:14:29] That symbolizes good luck. So there's a lot of different traditions and ways people celebrate the new year. A classroom tip for this is to have students research either in pairs or independently a New Year's tradition that they know of in this country or their community or in another country. And then you can have some type of gallery walk.

[00:14:51] So they're either writing about it or illustrating that, custom teaching others about it. And then you have a gallery walk where students go around and looking at the [00:15:00] different traditions that are celebrated. Alright, finally we've got three Kings Day or Epiphany, which is celebrated on January 6th. This is a Christian holiday that commemorate.

[00:15:10] It's when the three Kings come to visit Baby Jesus. You've got special traditions such as parades. Gift exchanges. Sometimes you'll have people giving gifts to the children of the family, and you also have delicious breaded cakes such as king cake or sca res. That is another tradition in Mexico, and King Cake is something that you'll see traditionally in New Orleans specifically.

[00:15:42] In our area, we have king cake. It comes around early January and you'll see it in bakeries and stores through Mardi Gras. And the fun part about the SREs and king cake is that there's a little hidden figurine inside and. [00:16:00] I think they are delicious. So a classroom tip for this is to show a picture or even bring even better yet, bring some rascal or a king cake and share about this food and what it represents for three Kings Day and have students share or compare another holiday where there's some type of traditional food made and what that represents.

[00:16:23] So that's always fun to bring in food. I personally will not turn down a good food lesson. So there you have it. That is eight winter holidays that you can talk about with your students throughout the course of the fall winter time span and the holidays again is Diwali Di Los Muertos, Hanukkah Las Christmas, Kwanza, new Year's Eve, and New Year's Day and Three Kings Day or Epiphany.

[00:16:52] So those eight holidays not only are really great to teach and are mentioned in this video, but they're also in my winter holiday [00:17:00] unit. So if that's something you're interested in picking up, you should definitely check that out. Links are in the description and you can learn more information on my website.

[00:17:08] And in my TPT store, the Southern Teach, and again, if you ever wanna go into a deeper dive of Christmas around the world, there's that Christmas around the world unit that you can also check out. Teaching about these holidays not only brings out cultural awareness, but it also shares information about customs and traditions celebrated in a variety of diverse communities that they may not celebrate themselves.

[00:17:32] And that's okay. It's just building awareness that. We are all different people who may have different holidays that we observe or we celebrate and commemorate, and that's just what makes us unique and special. Well, that's it for today. I hope you've enjoyed this video. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week and hopefully this gets your brain thinking about different ways you can kick off the holiday season.

[00:17:58] I will talk to you next [00:18:00] time and I hope you have a wonderful day. Thanks for listening to the Social Studies Teacher podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, hit that subscribe button and leave a review. I would love to hear your thoughts. You can also find me on Instagram at the Southern Teach.

[00:18:16] I can't wait for you to join me in the next episode for more teacher tips and strategies.